Current supply apparatus



H. H. SPENCER CURRENT SUPPLY APPARATUS Filed Sept. l2, 1951 /Nl/ENTOR By H. H. SPENCER ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1953 Patentecl ec. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CURRENT SUPPLY APPARATUS Harry H. Spencer, Springfield, N. J., assigner to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 12, 1951, Serial N o. 246,267

(Cl. S22-9) Claims.

This invention relates to power supply systems and more particularly to an automatically controlled power plant for unnterrupteclly supplying current to a ioacl irrespective oi failures or voltage uctuations in excess or' predetermined magnitudes of a primary commercial power supply source from which current is normally supplied tothe power plant.

The invention is of use, for example, for sup pl'ying energizing current to eq nient of a carrier current telephone system, wi on requires or its continuous operation an uninterrupted supply of alternating current the voltage of which remains witnin a predetermined amplitude range.

An object of the invention is to provide improved motor-generator apparatus for supplying current to a loa-d without interruption or excessive voltage variation, irrespective of interruption or amplitude change or cu'rent normally supplied to a driving motor oi said apparatus.

This invention is an improvement over the power supply system disclosed and claimed in United States Patent No. 2,513,394 granted to me August il, 195.

in accordance with an embodiment' of the invention herein for the purpose of illustration, an alternator for supplying current to a load has coup-leo, to it an alternating-current motor and a crect- `rent motor for driving it. Duringv normal opera-t. n, current is supplieo from a commercial alternating-current source to the alternating-current motor causing it to. drive. the alternator. During a starting period and during periode when the voltage oi alternating-current source falls loeow a certain minimum value, the direct-cu `rent motor is energized 'oy current from a battery to cause it to drive the alternator. A standby alternator set assumes the supply for the load ii the alternator output voltage falls below a certain minimum value while the directcurrent motor is driving the alternator.

Apparatus is provided for controlling the energization of the two motors and the standby alternatur set u tier joint control of the alternator output voltage and the alternating-current supply line voltage. fhis control apparatus makes possible the transfer oi the alternator drive from one motor to the other without introducing large amplitude voltage variations at the alternator output.

During the normal operating condition, `when the alternating-current motor is driving the alternating-current generator and the direct-- current motor, direct currentV supplied to the nel@ Winding ci the direct-current motor sol that it may more readily take over the drive of the generator when the drive by the alternatingcurrent motor is interrupted. .in the arrangement disclosed in my prior patent, supra, the direct Current is sup-plied to the field winding' .troni the battery. In the moclied arranger lent in accorciance with the present intention, direct ourrent is Supplied to ti e eld Winoing niainly from the driven armature of tile direct-current motor, thereby reducing the battery fain during periode of normal operation, a resistor being provided L a common patii connecting the cattery to tire armature and to the elc oi the dusche-errent motor. Means are provided for short-oircu1 g the resistor thereby causing the armature to be energized from the cattery 'einen transferring to the direct-current motor drive, resistadded to the eid current circuit to maintain the field current at a desired amplituce.

The single figure or" the clra ring is a schematic view of a power plant embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawing, an alternatingmcurrent load l is oonneffueol to receive power etli from a normal tivoonotor alternator set Si? cornm prising an alternator `inecloanically coupled to a direct-current motor i3 and to an alternatingcurrent motor ifi, or, as shown in the cirawing, from a similar stantioy alternator Tire normal supply set l is initially by inanually operating the start sw cli This operation of contact o oi start switch connects the holding battery through the normally closed Contact a of stop switch i? to the winding or relay i8, causing it to operate.

The operation oi relay connects battery i9 to a circuit comprising the closed oontact of a relay tile eld Winding of dir current motor a resistor anu a. rlieostat 2i, all in series. The operation oi relay also conrA motor i3 from battery le through tact of relay 23 and through a rent limiting starter The rf starter 2'2 is out out in steps to o up to normal speed and cut out thereafter as long as tne moto* at approximately normal speed. relay 23 is energized` by ourrer when an operating circuit is comp eted tln'orgii an armature and contact of relayv as elio' When the terminal voltage of alternato;1 l reached a certain value, the current tlirovffn une transformer Ze, rectier 2l', a t' relay 2t will re rent beine st o relay 2 deenergized, the rheostat 2S is shortcircuited by the leads 33 through the lower oon tact of relay 24.

The operation of relay 23 removes ground from the winding of relay 3l causing relay SI to release. While relay 2S is deenergized, relay 3l is operated by current irom a holding battery 32 flowing in a circuit comprising an armature and Contact of relay 33 and the'armature and a contact of relay 28. The relail 33 is normally held operated by current from the commercial supply 3E iiotving through transformer 3?, rectifier 38, and rheostat 39, and when operated, connects the battery 32 to one terminal of each of the windings of relay 3l and 2d. Rhecstat t3 is short-circuited by the lead iii through the lower contact and armature of relay S3.

The ground connection removed from relay 3l due to the operation of relay 28 is now applied to the winding of a slow acting relay 34 causing it to operate. side of their windings connected to the holding battery I5. Relay 35 therefore operates when the operation of relay 3B connects ground to its winding. A holding circuit for the winding of relay I8 is established from the battery I6 through contact a of relay S5 so that the start switch l5 may now be released. Relay 34 is slow acting allowing relay 3l to release before the winding of relay SI is grounded through contact c of relay S5.

Relay 35 in operating removes the ground connection through its contact b from the winding of relay t5, causing relay i5 to release when or if the start switch l5 is released. This release of relay 1&5 transfers a ground connection from the winding of relay e5 to the winding of relay t1. Both relays l and 3 have one side of their windings permanently connected to the holding battery I6 and, heretofore, relay 43 has been held operated to connect the load II to the standby alternator set Q9. The ground connection transfer caused by the release o? relay I5 causes relay 43 to release and relay t? to operate. Relays 4l and i8 may be mechanically interlocked to prevent one from operating before the other releases. The release of relay t8 and the subsequent operation of relay lll transfers the connection of the load I I from the standby set 1S to the normal set Iii.

The release of relay 3| connects ground through a contact d of relay 35 and through the normally closed contact b of the stop switch Il to the winding of relay 2li, causing it to operate if the voltage of the supply 36 is such as to maintain relay 33 operated. This operation of relay 24 removes ground from the winding of relay 23 causing it to release, and completes a circuit from ground through a contact of relay 2li, the windings of relays 4I and 5l in parallel, and the battery i6, causing relays M and 5I to operate. The release of relay 23 removes the short circuit across resistor 62, the operation of relay 5I completes a short circuit across resistor 5U and the operation of relay lll connects the alternatingcurrent motor I to the alternating-current supply source 36.

Thus, during the normal operating condition when the alternating-current motor drives the alternator i2, there are three current paths connected in parallel, the rst path being the bat- Both relays and 35 have onetery I9 and resistor a2 in series, the second path being the armature of direct-current motor I3, and the third path being the motor iield winding 2c and rheostat 2l in series. There is gen erated across the armature of direct-current m0- tor I3 a Voltage nearly equal to the voltage of battery lil. When the armature voltage is somewhat larger than the battery voltage, current will flow from the armature into the ield winding and into the battery. When the battery voltage is somewhat larger than the armature voltage, current will flow from the armature into the eld winding and from the battery into the neld winding. In each case the current iiowing into or out of the battery will be limited by the resistor [i2 which may have a resistance of 50 ohms, for example. For a condition of full load on the alternating-current generator l2, of 2i-kilowatt capacity, for example, the current supplied to the eld winding 2i? may be 1.8 amperes or" which 1.66 amperes is supplied from the driven armature of motor I3 and 0.140 ampere from the battery i9. For a condition of light load on the generator i2, the motor held current may be reduced to 1.25 amperes, for example, of which 1.17 arnperes is supplied from the motor armature and 0.080 ampere from the battery. In the arrange ment disclosed in my Patent No. 2,518,394, the field current is supplied mainly from the battery even when the armature voltage is somewhat higher than the battery voltage and, when the battery voltage is higher, it also supplies eur= rent to the armature circuit. Thus with the Ypresent circuit arrangement, battery current drain is substantially reduced during normal operation when the direct-current motor is being driven by the alternating-current motor. Since eld current of a correct value is being supplied to the motor I3 while it is being driven by the alternating-current motor, it is necessary only to operate relays 23 and 5! to condition the direct-current motor to assume the drive of alternator I2.

A decrease in the voltage of the supply source SI5 below normal to a value determined by the adjustment of rheostat 39 will cause the relay 33 to release. This release will result in a transfer of motor drive from the alternating-current mo tor i i to the direct-current motor i3 by removing the battery 32 from the windingr of relay 25. causu ing it to release. The release of relay 2t removes ground from the windings of relays il and 5I, causing these relays to release. Thus altervhating-current motor la is disconnected from the supply source 35, the short circuit across resistor t is opened, and ground is reconnected te the winding of relay 23 causing it to operate again short-circuit the resistor t2. Relays 24 and 23 are very fast acting as compared to 'relays 3, 35 and i8 so that the motor drive is transferred to the direct-current motor I3 fcefore the output voltage of the alternator de creasesV suiiiciently to allow the series of relays 28, 3Q, 35 and la to release and disconnect the 'direct-current motor i3 from its supply battery The release of relay S3 also removes the short circuit from the rheostat 43, thereby increasing the resistance in circuit with the winding of re lay and il and the release of relay 23 as hereinbefore described..

Relay 33 therefore will not reoperate until the voltage of supply 3S returns to a Value Emerg cy conditions, such as failure of the alternati' l2, are safeguarded by the relay 28 which is adjusted to release at an alternator output voltage below normal and determined by the adjustment or rh l t "1, il* and 2S. (While the alternatingotor id is driving the alternator i2, the uit on the rheostat 2Q is removed the operation oi relay which relay must operatev before the alteri'iating-current motor id' is connected to its supply 36.) Should the alternator I2 output decrease to this predetermined value, relay' 2d will release, removing ground from the winding of relay and applying ground to the winding oi relay 3|. Relay 3i will operate if the supply voltage SS is normal so that the relay 33 is operated and will loci; up to ground through contact c of relay 35 and the closed switch 44. Relay 3l, in operating, Will remove ground from the winding of relay Ell, thus causing the nic-toi' drive to be transferred to the direct-current motor i3 as hereinbeiore described. The release of relay replaces the short circuit on rheostat 2.?, thus raising the current in circuit with the winding of relay 23 so that it reopera-tes and replaces the ground on the winding of relay Relay Ell, as previously described, is slow acting and does not release during the interval relay is released.

The direct-cur ent motor I3 drives the alternator I2 at normal output, if it is able to do so, and direct-current motor operation continues until the lock-up on relay 3l is removed by operating the itil. switch may be operated locally or iy remote control means Well lsnoivn in the art. This operation will cause relay Si to release which will in turn cause the motor drive to be again transferred to the alterhating-current motor lil as previously described.

Eut, if motor i3 on assuming the alternator drive is unable to maintain the alternator .I output voltage, relay E8 Will again release at a voltage now determined by the adjustment ci only rheostat 2e since rheostat 2Q is short-ciicuited during direct-current motor operation by the release of relay 2d. This voltage will be lower than that which caused relay 28 to release during alternating-current motor drive since the resistance in series With the Winding of relay .2S has been decreased by short-circuitng rheostat Eil. This removal of ground from the winding of relay Sil by the release oi relay 2S will now allow relay 3e to release. The release of relay 3:3 causes relay 35 also to release by removing ground from its Winding. rEhe release of relay 35 removes the battery It from the starting relay i8 causing it to release and shut down the set by removing the supply battery i9 from the direct-current motor I3. The alternating-current motor lli is disconnected from its supply Se at the time oi the motor drive transfer.

The release of relay 35 causing the alternator et Iii to shut down also reconnects ground to the Winding of relay dii through contact b or" relay S5. Relay i5 will now operate since the one side ci its Winding is permanently connected to the holding battery i6. The operation of relay l5 transfers the ground connection through its armature from the winding of relay il to the Winding of relay e8. As hereinbefore described, relay Il? will release, and, in turn, relay 48 will operate. The release of relay il and operation of relay d8 transiers the load i i connection from the normal alternator set it to the standby set 49 running normally at no load. The set #i9 then assumes the supply for the load i I..

rie-current motor it or the alternator loi The alternator set le may be stopped at any time by manually operating the stop switch By this operation of the contact c of stop switch Il, the relay I8 will be released, causing the battery le to be disconnected from the direct-current motor i3. This operation of the contact b of stop switch I l will disconnect the alternatingcurrent motor I from its source it be so connected, by removing ground from the Winding of relay 2Q, causin.FT it to release. The release of relay 24 removes ground from relay Ill causing it to release and open its contacts and thus deeneigize the alternating-current motor I. The operation of the contact c of the stop switch Il connects ground to the winding of relay 45 causing relay 45 to operate and transfer the connection of the load I i from the normal set I5 to the standby set 4% as hereinbefore escribed. A holding circuit for relay d5 will be obtained by the ground connection oi contact b of relay when relay 35 releases.

For the purpose of performing tests or maintenance on the alternator set i@ While it is running, the load may be momentarily transferred to the standby set by holding the start switch I5 depressed. This connects ground to the Winding of relay through the contact EJ of the start switch I5 causing relay 45 to operate and transfer the load Il connection to the standby set 49. 'he release oi the start switch I5 returns the load il connection to the normal set I0 by causing the release oi relay 135.

What is claimed is:

1. Means for driving a generator comprising an alternating-current motor, a direct-current motor having a ield Winding and an armature, means for mechanically coupling said alternating-current motor and said direct-current motor to said generator, a direct-current source, a iirst and a second resistor, a first circuit comprising in series said direct-current source, said hrst resistor and said armature, a second circuit comprising in series said direct-current source, said nrst resistor, said held winding and said second resistor, means ior causing said direct-current motor to drive said generator comprising means for completing a short-circuiting path across said nist resistor, and means for transferring the orive from said direct-current motor to said alternating-current motor comprising means for opening said short-circuiting path across said rst resistor, means ioi' completing a short-cii'cuiting path across a portion at least of said second resister and means roi supplying current from an alternating-current source to said aiternatingcurrent motor.

z. Driving means for a generator comprising an alternating-current motor and a direct-current motor, means i'or mechanically coupling both said motors to said generator, said directcurrent motor having an armature and a held Winding, means ior supplying alternating current from a supply source to said alternating-current motor to cause 1t to drive said generator and said direct-current motor, a direct-current source, a resistor, and a circuit having three parallel branch paths, a first of said paths comprising said direct-current source and said resistor in series, a second of said paths comprising said armature, and the third o1 said paths comprising said held Winding.

3. Driving means in accordance with claim in which said third path comprises resistance in series with said i'ieid Winding.

4. Driving means in accordance with claim 2 in which there are provided means ici trans- 2`,664,3 i erring the drive from said alternating-current stantially the same time that said resistor in motor to said direct-current motor comprising series with said direct-current source is shortmeans for short-circuiting said resistor and circuited.

means for substantially simultaneously interrupt- HARRY H. SPENCER.

ing the suppy of current from said supply source 5 t0 Sag @lFelMtlng-Clrl'ent mt@ ,th 1 4 References Cited in the me of this patent rivmg means 1n accor ance W1 c aim in which said. third path comprises resistance in UNITED STATES PATENTS series with said eld winding and in which means Number Name Date are provided for increasing said resistance at sublo 2,518,394 Spencer Aug. 8, 1950 

